Renault Group CEO Luca De Meo is set to meet the disgruntled Alpine Formula 1 engine staff at Viry-Chatillon following protests.
De Meo intends to scrap the decades-long F1 engine project at Viry to turn Alpine into a Mercedes customer outfit.
The proposed move could save Alpine approximately $90 million a year in development costs and provide the team with a more competitive power unit.
This has been met with stern opposition at Viry, with a protest launched during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza after a statement fell on deaf ears.
“The social and economic council (CSE) of Alpine Racing, the engine manufacturer for the French Formula 1 team, has announced that it has arranged a meeting with Luca de Meo, Chairman and CEO of Renault Group, on Friday 20 September 2024 in order to bring to his attention the incomprehension surrounding the end of F1 engine development in France at the Viry-Chatillon site, a unique technology in France,” a statement said on Tuesday (obtained via Motorsport.com).
“The staff representatives thank Mr de Meo for responding favourably to this request.”
Viry has produced F1 engines for well over four decades, bursting onto the Grand Prix scene in 1979.
Through teams such as Benetton and Williams, Renault became the go-to engine provider in the 1990s, contributing to five Drivers’ titles.
In the 2000s the Renault works outfit won the 2005 and ’06 titles and the French marque went on to power Red Bull to four world championship doubles from 2010 to 2013.
Power unit problems began for Renault in 2014 amid hybrid era
F1’s hybrid era, starting in 2014, has seen Renault and Viry slip to the bottom of the F1 power unit pecking order.
With the 2026 engine regulations continuing with hybrid, but at a greater capacity – de Meo wants to switch to the stronger Mercedes PU.
Viry was informed in July that the plan would be to disperse staff among other motorsport projects and the Alpine car brand.
In response, a statement read “the announcement of the end of the development and production of French power units for Formula 1 is incomprehensible.
“We cannot accept that Alpine and the Renault Group damage their images, which is why we ask Mr. De Meo and his board of directors to renounce this decision.”
With little to no action coming from that initial retort, 100 Viry staff descended on Monza with a peaceful protest to garner de Meo’s attention.
With a September 30 deadline approaching on where the Alpine F1 project goes, it appears as if the protest has had the desired effect.
It is up to de Meo to now convince Viry that switching Alpine from a works engine to a Mercedes customer is the right way to go F1 racing.
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